A Startup Story Worth Reading

Let me share a secret with you: Success in any business comes from avoiding waste. In software, the root of waste is dispersion. Keep everything as compact as possible and you will maximize your possibilities.

Many founders dream of having everything labeled, categorized, and controlled by a KPI. They also want to keep a space where ideas and creativity can flow. This makes great products.

But, it leads to a strange mix, where we measure unimportant things and miss key signs. This is a real example of a family-owned company that does medical testing.

They were dealing with lots of strong competitors in their area. One day, they reached out and told us that in the clinical analysis industry, competition is about who opens more branches. But they had a different idea in mind.

They wanted to make sample collection easier by bringing it to people’s homes. They did not know it. But, this factor saved their business during the pandemic.

Influenced by delivery apps, the best idea seemed to be making an Uber for clinical analysis. And with that in mind, we started developing.

Chapter 1: The Team

Every product reflects the team behind it, so finding the right people is always crucial. Like any project in its early stages, we needed to focus on code simplicity. Scalability and flexibility could wait. Luckily, we stumbled upon a former colleague known for their straightforward approach to coding and was open to work. Developers often seek to use the latest frameworks to spice up their resumes. They do this instead of using what’s most convenient for the company. (I hope no developers get mad at me for saying that, but it’s the truth.)

Our first developer set high standards. For a couple of weeks, it seemed like finding the second hire would take months. No one seemed good enough, and there were still five more positions to fill.

Our client began to worry. They thought that having only one programmer was too slow. But, when the second programmer joined, they created a synergy that changed the original plan. Rather than the usual six-person team, the team changed to three people. Working in something more akin to XP than the dominant SCRUM methodology.

The change in the work plan was drastic. It raised many doubts from the client. They were not happy and this led to adjustments and contract changes. Yet, all doubts vanished after our first delivery. It was six weeks after the contract signing. A simple web form in .Net MVC brought in the first dollars. Thanks to placing QR codes in the city’s baseball stadium restrooms.

Chapter 2: Technology and Methodology

Choosing the technology wasn’t easy. The client’s IT team suggested using Go for the backend and React Native for the app. But, this would have increased costs. It needed two developers working in very different languages. So, we decided to ignore the suggestion. The focus for us was clear: Getting clients, not on following programming trends.

It turned out that .Net covered not only the backend, web, and mobile. It also integrated seamlessly with Azure and HockeyApp (App Center). This allowed us to build a full, automated development pipeline. It changed the client relationship for the better. We also used to work in sprints. And what did that bring us? Constant delays and frequent questions of “when will my product be out?” Now, we get questions like “what are we launching this week?”” and “what feedback did we get from last week’s delivery?” That created a much closer and more satisfying relationship with the client.

Now it was only the company’s IT staff who continued to demand development plans and tight schedules. But the benefit of avoiding dates based on meetings was clear. Instead, we focused only on satisfying user needs. And what happened next? The company withdrew supervision from the IT team. They left the project in the hands of the sales team. For us this was a significant victory in our struggle to gain the client’s trust in our technical abilities.

We showed that you can’t impose a methodology. Each team will find its best way of working in freedom. We should not put individuals’ conditions and abilities into boxes. Sprints and ceremonies should not constrain them.

Chapter 3: The KPIs

As mentioned before, every founder has two personas. One dreams of measuring, classifying, and visualizing in KPIs. The other wants a company where freedom and creativity lead to successful products. The reality is that a 50–50 reconciliation is impossible. One must dominate.

So, we established only one indicator: “How often do we receive feedback?” We measure how many deliveries we’ve made, what the user has said, and how many people have used it. And easily compare it with the income generated

They compared this with the IT team’s proposal of a 20 indicator dashboard. With Tasks on a to-do-doing-done board. Which honestly, it is worst thing you can do. This system leads to task-driven work. It does not focus on making usable and profitable products.

And as expected there was a heated meeting before the IT team left the project. Because we proved that one indicator can answer all the directors’ questions.

Chapter 4: The Opportunity

For months, we heard about cities closing in Asia, then Spain, Italy, and all Europe. Then, the pandemic reached our town and the opportunity to shine came. Within weeks, we became the company’s main revenue channel and the most important project.

At this point, the project hit a roadblock. The App Store and Play Store became very strict about COVID-19 apps. This meant we couldn’t release a downloadable app until 2021. But instead of giving up, we found other ways to reach people, like using WhatsApp, email, and phone calls. These ways became really important and kept us motivated to keep going, even when things got hard.

Chapter 5: The Audacity.

The team changed their plans for development. They linked the channels directly to the app’s backend. They used chatbots and Power Automate to do this. The goal was to make sure we didn’t miss any orders and could manage sending out results. Because there were so many orders, the old way of sending results wasn’t working well anymore.

Our client didn’t stop at just using the app. They came up with new ideas. They started drive-thru testing centers in the city and simple mobile offices. These ideas didn’t cost much and could be set up quickly. A few weeks later, their competitors tried to copy them, but it was too late. People already associated convenient and safe clinical analysis with our client’s name.

Chapter 6: The Outcome

Months later, after Apple and Google finally gave the green light to our app, it was ready to show its value during the second wave of COVID-19. But our team isn’t one to sit around and wait. Thanks to the client’s boldness, trust and transparency. Helped us break free from the strict rules of the first contract. We also cleared up any doubts between us and came together as a single team facing a problem.

We learned to be really flexible, even more than any rules we had before. People saw that the best lab was right at home. That made a big difference. The company sold off some branches and became the top lab in the country. They care more about doing things right than having lots of branches.

So, here’s the big lesson: in business, you have to be clever, work hard, and be brave. They didn’t just survive in a tough market, we saw an opportunity and made the most of it.

As you go about your business journey, remember: it’s not about big and shiny ideas. It’s about working smart and caring about your customers. You never know what amazing things you might achieve!

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